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Last week Thursday through Saturday I participated in the second Castine Plein Air Festival in Castine, Maine. I traveled and roomed with my friend and painter  Diane Dubreuil. The Castine Arts Association members do a fantastic job hosting this event. We were housed with a host family that could not have been nicer. They have lots of volunteers that under the leadership of the cheerful Don Tenney pull together and put on an event that sets the whole town abuzz. Thursday morning at 7:30  forty artists arrived at the town green to have our substrates stamped and dashed off in the rain to find a place to paint. By noon the skies were clearing and the weather was perfect for the rest of the event. Castine is an important town in Maine history and many buildings have hand painted signs on their lawns telling the history of the site. The last painting I made on Saturday was of a charming old engine house which had been restored by the owners. They bought the painting on the spot and I forgot to take a picture of it! In three days I made seven paintings. All the artists worked so hard, dashing from one painting spot to the next with barely time to eat. We needed to have our work framed by 2:30 pm on Saturday and be at the Maine Maritime Academy to set up our exhibit. 263 paintings were created and 86 were sold in two hours. Each artist was given an 8 foot table and three table top easels. Then we had to leave and come back at 5:30 for the announcement of awards. Five honorable mention awards and first, second and third awards were given. I am proud to say that I received an honorable mention award for my painting "Castine Morning". It was painted on the final morning very early in front of our hosts house. There air was thick with humidity and the tide was low. The sun was coming up trying to burn through the atmosphere. It was quiet and lovely except for the whiff of skunk that was around. I kept looking around me to see it he was sneaking up on me!

Castine Morning

8 1/2" x 15"

oil on panel

This painting sold very quickly at the exhibit and received a lot of attention. Some patrons were sad to see they had missed out on buying it. It now has a new home with a very nice woman from Deluth, MN.

Here is another painting which sold to a couple who have been looking at this scene for 30 years. It seems fitting that it was purchased by people who have an intimate relationship to the location. 

 Getting Ready at Eaton's 

6" x6"

oil on panel

This is the shed that leads to the dock at Eaton's Boatyard. Ken Eaton was so patient with all the artists being underfoot during the paint out. That elm tree across the bay is called "the broccoli tree" by the locals. It's a little weird looking but if I didn't put it in you can be sure someone would have called me on it!

The whole experience was excellent. Thank you to the people of Castine.